Garment Money Holder

ABSTRACT

A retention apparatus for holding and carrying money, credit cards, driver&#39;s licenses, and other small objects on the body of a user. The retention apparatus features a pouch that can be permanently installed on or removably connected to an interior surface of a garment. The garment is a brassiere, a sports bra, a riding bra, a dress, a corset, a shirt, a t-shirt, a swimsuit top or bottom, a bikini top, or any other suitable garment to which the retention apparatus is attachable. The retention apparatus may feature a pocket flap that can include a fastener for closing the pouch and securing the objects within the pouch.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for retaining and carrying small objects with a person. More particularly, the invention relates to a retention apparatus, e.g., a money holder, constructed as part of a garment, which is used to carry small objects with a person.

BACKGROUND

Articles of clothing often include pockets, however, numerous garments lack pockets leaving a wearer with no options for holding and carrying small objects on the body. The problem is particularly commonplace for women whose clothing often lacks conventional pockets for reasons related to style and fashion considerations and trends.

A need exists for articles of clothing that include pockets formed on an interior surface to allow the wearer to store and conceal money, credit cards, driver's license and other identification cards.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to a retention apparatus for holding and carrying money, credit cards, driver's licenses, and other small objects on the body of a user. The retention apparatus features a pouch that can be permanently installed on or removably connected to a garment. The garment can be a brassiere, a corset, a dress, a shirt, a t-shirt, a swimsuit top or bottom, a bikini top, or any other suitable garment to which the retention apparatus is attachable. The retention apparatus may feature a pocket flap that can include a fastener for closing the pouch and securing the objects within the pouch.

The retention apparatus provides an advantage to wearers in that it allows a wearer to carry and conceal personal items on the body of the wearer. The retention apparatus provides another advantage in that it permits the wearer to store and conceal personal items when the wearer is wearing pants, shorts, dresses, or skirts that do not include pockets.

The retention apparatus is also advantageous because it can be constructed and installed in swimwear or another garment so as to keep dry the wearer's personal items or other contents stored therein when the wearer enters a body of water or when the wearer engages in a sport or other activity that causes the wearer to perspire.

Accordingly, the invention features a retention apparatus for retaining an object on the body of a person. The retention apparatus features a pouch and a garment having an interior surface on which the pouch is installed.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch including a piece of material attached to the garment on three sides so as to leave one open end.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch including a fully formed pouch having one open end, wherein the pouch is attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature one side of the pouch being attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature two sides of the pouch being attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature three sides of the pouch being attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch being permanently attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch being permanently attached to the garment by stitching.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch being removably attached to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch being removably attached to the garment by a fastener.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch and garment including hook and loop fasteners for removably connecting the pouch to the garment.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the fastener being selected from at least one of the following items: a zipper, one or more buttons, one or more snaps, hook and loop fasteners, and one or more hooks.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the garment being a brassiere.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the brassiere being a sports bra or a riding bra.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch being connected to an inner surface of a cup of the brassiere.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch further including a lid.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the lid being a flap capable of being rotated to open and close access to an interior space formed inside the pouch.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the lid including a fastener for securing an interior surface of the lid to an exterior surface of the pouch so as to fasten the lid closed.

In another aspect, the invention can feature the pouch having an interior space that is sized and shaped to receive and hold one or more standard size identification or banking cards.

The invention also features a brassiere having at least one pouch installed on an inner surface of at least one cup of the brassiere.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions will control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a garment showing in phantom view a retention apparatus installed therein.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the retention apparatus of FIG. 1 shown installed inside the garment.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the retention apparatus of FIG. 1 shown installed inside the garment.

FIG. 4 is a close-up rear view of the retention apparatus of FIG. 1 shown installed inside the garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention provides a retention apparatus 10 for storing and concealing personal items on the body of a wearer. The personal items can include, for example, money, credit and debit cards, gift cards, driver's license, identification cards, and other small items that the wearer wishes to store or to store and conceal on his or her person. In an exemplary embodiment, the retention apparatus 10 can be installed in an article of adult female clothing, although in other embodiments, the article of clothing may be for adult males or children.

The article of clothing 12, also referred to herein as a garment, can be a brassiere, a sports bra, a riding bra, a dress, a corset, a shirt, a t-shirt, a swimsuit top or bottom, a bikini top, or any other suitable garment to which the retention apparatus is attachable. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the garment 12 is a brassiere. The brassiere can be a casual women's undergarment, a lingerie item, a sports bra, or a riding bra. The retention apparatus 10 is installed on an inner or interior surface 22 of a garment 12 so as to not be visible when the garment is worn by the wearer, thereby permitting the wearer to store and conceal personal items on the body of the wearer when the garment and its connected retention apparatus are worn. In an exemplary embodiment, the retention apparatus 10 can be connected to an inner surface 22 of a cup 24 of a brassiere, sports bra, or riding bra.

The retention apparatus 10 is installed, removably or permanently, on an interior surface of the garment 12 by one or more fasteners 20. The retention apparatus 10 can be installed removably or permanently to the garment's interior surface during manufacturing. In another embodiment, the retention apparatus 10 can be sold or provided to the wearer or another person other than the manufacturer for installation on the garment's interior surface, which installation can be permanent, for example, by sewing or stitching, or removable, for example, by installation of one or more other fasteners on the garment's interior surface and on a surface of the retention apparatus. The fastener or fasteners 20 used to removably attach the retention apparatus to the garment's interior surface can be sewing, stitching, or one or more zippers, hooks, buckles, buttons, snaps, clips, hook-and-loop fasteners, or any other suitable fastener. In embodiments that include a removable retention apparatus, the retention apparatus may be disconnected from the garment's interior surface to allow personal items to be inserted into the retention apparatus for storage and concealment. In embodiments where the retention apparatus is connected permanently to the interior surface of the garment, the retention apparatus may be connected to that surface either by single stitching or double stitching.

The retention apparatus 10 features a pouch 16 that can be permanently installed on or removably connected to the garment 12. In one embodiment, the pouch 16 of the retention apparatus 10 can feature a lid 14, which may include a fastener for closing an open end of the pouch and securing the objects within the pouch. The lid 14 can be a flap capable of being rotated to open and close access to an interior space 18 formed inside the pouch 16. The personal items are insertable into the interior space 18 for storage and concealment. The lid 14 can include a fastener for securing an interior surface of the lid to an exterior surface of the pouch 16 so as to fasten the lid closed. The fastener can be one or more buckles, buttons, snaps, clips, hook-and-loop fasteners, or any other suitable fastener. In an exemplary embodiment, the lid's fastener is a zipper. In some embodiments, the lid may lack a fastener, and in other embodiments, the retention apparatus may lack a lid altogether.

The pouch 16 can be constructed from one, two, three, or more pieces of material. In one embodiment, the pouch 16 can be formed by a single piece of material attached to the garment 12 on three sides so as to leave one open end. In another embodiment, the pouch 16 can be a fully formed pouch having one open end, wherein the pouch is attached to the garment 12. In various embodiments, the retention apparatus 10 can feature one, two, or three sides of the pouch 16 being attached to the garment's interior surface. The pouch 16 can be constructed from natural or synthetic fabrics and materials or combinations of such fabrics and materials. For example, the pouch 16 can be constructed from cotton, wool, hemp, silk, nylon, spandex, polyester, acrylic, neoprene or other waterproof materials, or any other suitable fabric or material that can be used to produce cloth or a garment.

In one embodiment, the garment can be a swimsuit top or bottom. For example, the garment could be a bikini top. In swimsuit tops, the pouch 16 can be installed in a cup of the top. In swimsuit bottoms, the pouch 16 can be installed in a front, side, or rear portion of the bottom, e.g., at or below the waist band of the bottom. In embodiments where the garment is a swimsuit top or bottom, the pouch 16 can be constructed from a waterproof material, e.g., neoprene, to keep dry the personal items stored within the pouch.

In an exemplary embodiment, the interior space 18 of the pouch 16 can be sized and shaped to receive and hold in a close or snug fit one or more standard size identification or banking cards and folded paper money. In other embodiments, the interior space 18 of the pouch 16 can be formed of a size larger or smaller than the size that would provide a close or snug fit for the personal items inserted therein.

The invention also includes a garment having a retention apparatus. The retention apparatus can be permanently or removably connected to an interior surface of the garment. In an exemplary embodiment, the garment is a brassiere, a sports bra, or a riding bra. In other embodiments, the garment can be a dress, a corset, a shirt, a t-shirt, a swimsuit top or bottom, a bikini top, or any other suitable garment to which the retention apparatus is attachable. In one embodiment, the garment may include two retention apparatuses, one being attached in each cup of the brassiere. A pouch of the retention apparatus can be sized and shaped to allow a close fit insertion of money, credit and debit cards, gift cards, driver's license, identification cards, and other small items that the wearer wishes to store or to store and conceal. In another embodiment, the pouch can sized as large as or nearly as large as the cup of the brassiere in which it is installed.

In some embodiments, rather than being a separate object installed on one of the garment's exposed interior surfaces, the pouch of the retention apparatus can be formed by and between the layers of material forming the garment, for example, where the garment is created by the combination and layering of two separate pieces of cloth. In these embodiments, the interior surface of the garment is not an exposed interior surface but includes two interior non-exposed surfaces formed between two or more attached layers of cloth or fabric forming the garment. Stitching or sewing can be used to form the pouch using the existing two layers of material forming the garment. In one example, an open end of the pouch can be located along a top edge of the garment so that the open end is formed between two closed portions of the garment's top edge. Personal items can easily be inserted into the open end into an interior space within the pouch for storage and concealment. This embodiment of the garment may or may not include a lid by which to open and close or secure the pouch's open end.

Other Embodiments

It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A retention apparatus for retaining an object on the body of a person, the retention apparatus comprising: a pouch; and a garment comprising an interior surface on which the pouch is installed.
 2. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a piece of material attached to the garment on three sides so as to leave one open end.
 3. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a fully formed pouch comprising one open end, wherein the pouch is attached to the garment.
 4. The retention apparatus of claim 3, wherein one side of the pouch is attached to the garment.
 5. The retention apparatus of claim 3, wherein two sides of the pouch are attached to the garment.
 6. The retention apparatus of claim 3, wherein three sides of the pouch are attached to the garment.
 7. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is permanently attached to the garment.
 8. The retention apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pouch is permanently attached to the garment by stitching.
 9. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is removably attached to the garment.
 10. The retention apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pouch is removably attached to the garment by a fastener.
 11. The retention apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pouch and garment comprise hook and loop fasteners for removably connecting the pouch to the garment.
 12. The retention apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fastener is selected from at least one item in the group consisting of: a zipper, one or more buttons, one or more snaps, hook and loop fasteners, and one or more hooks.
 13. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the garment is a brassiere.
 14. The retention apparatus of claim 13, wherein the brassiere is a sports bra or a riding bra.
 15. The retention apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pouch is connected to an inner surface of a cup of the brassiere.
 16. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch further comprises a lid.
 17. The retention apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lid comprises a flap capable of being rotated to open and close access to an interior space formed inside the pouch.
 18. The retention apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lid comprises a fastener for securing an interior surface of the lid to an exterior surface of the pouch so as to fasten the lid closed.
 19. The retention apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises an interior space that is sized and shaped to receive and hold one or more standard size identification or banking cards.
 20. A brassiere comprising at least one pouch installed on an inner surface of at least one cup of the brassiere. 